Trauma-informed therapy is not a single technique but an overarching framework for psychotherapy that recognizes how past trauma shapes present-day emotional, relational, and physiological functioning and strives to ensure that one can process traumatic material safely and in a manner that will be healing. More information about trauma and how to define it can be found here.
Trauma-informed therapy will include an exploration of your current symptoms, as well as your early relationships and experiences—in a way that is both manageable and therapeutic.
A therapist working from a trauma-informed lens prioritizes safety, trust, collaboration and transparency, ensuring that the therapeutic relationship itself does not inadvertently recreate harm. A trauma-informed approach recognizes that the effects of difficult or overwhelming experiences are not always immediately apparent. Because of this, many therapists incorporate trauma-informed principles into their work with all clients.
More detailed information can be found on our Trauma page; some common indicators of trauma include:
Rather than treating trauma as an event or events one must “get over,” this approach holds that unresolved trauma can live in the nervous system, in relational patterns, and in unconscious beliefs about safety and self-worth. It can affect your mental as well and your physical health in ways that we would not easily assume are connected at all.
Trauma-informed therapy also contains the understanding that your relationship with your therapist is part of the healing process—maintaining a steady and safe therapeutic connection will help to address the ways in which traumatic experiences have made trusting others difficult and caused relationships to generally feel unsafe.
Because of their shared philosophies, psychodynamic psychotherapy and trauma-informed therapy are typically highly compatible approaches.
The effects of trauma can shape how you think, feel, relate to others, and experience the world. Healing doesn’t mean forgetting what happened—it means finding ways to move forward with greater safety, resilience, and self-understanding.
Whether you’re living with the effects of a single traumatic event, complex or developmental trauma, or experiences that continue to affect your daily life, our team of Toronto-based therapists provide compassionate, trauma-informed care that honours your pace, your strengths, and your unique experiences, both in person and virtually across Ontario.
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Connect with a therapist who offers trauma-informed care here.
Have a question first? Visit our FAQ page or contact us.
Learn more about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the Centre for Disease Control website and Dr. Nadine Burke Harris’s website.
Take the ACE Questionnaire here.
Read Nadine Burke Harris’s book The Deepest Well.
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When you’re ready, we’re here to listen and help you move forward. Your journey toward feeling like yourself again starts with a single step.
Have a question first? Visit our FAQ page or email info@torontopsychotherapygroup.com.